Daily Devotion to Jesus Christ – 101 of 366

Slaves, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart, as to Christ; not by way of eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart. With good will render service, as to the Lord, and not to men, knowing that whatever good thing each one does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether slave or free.
– Ephesians 6:5-8 NASB

Meditation

During yesterday’s meditation on being content, we saw something Jesus said as a rationale for being content:

“Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’…But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
– Matthew 6:31-33 NASB

Some people struggle with whether “seeking the kingdom of God and His righteousness” will really lead to the kind of life where material needs are met. Consider then this passage from Ephesians. It conveys how we should “seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness” at work.

Of course, we don’t have to contend with the ancient practice of slavery, but the principle still applies. That is, we all have a supervisor when it comes to work. Even the CEO of a large corporation has a board of directors to whom he must answer. All of us are under human authority of one kind or another when it comes to work.

Paul’s point is that we should serve that human authority as we would the Lord Himself. How many people are serving their employer with the same zeal, diligence, and heartfelt effort that they would give Jesus Himself? If every employee who confesses the name of Christ would devote himself to his employer as he would to Jesus, the productivity of American businesses would immediately shoot through the roof!

Therefore, if you are seeking the kingdom of God and His righteousness you are going to be the kind of employee that every employer is going to want. This makes it easier to see the connection between serving God and not worrying about how you’re going to make it financially in life.

Prayer

(Remember that prayer is more about listening than talking. Use the words below to start yourself, but then allow time to reflect more on the Scripture above before you say the “Amen.” During that time of quiet reflection, let God shape your thoughts and wait for a sense of peace to come. That’s your signal to say “Amen” and go forth to the day.)

Lord Jesus, I am dependent on You, not my employer. You will always provide for me, whether through my employer or by some other means. I will not fret about finances today; I will seek to do Your will….(this is where you remain quiet in order to let Him work in your thoughts)… Amen.